How Did We Meet?
by Boltshok
Summary: How did Winnie and Lifeflight meet? This fic explores the beginning of their relationship, from the moment Lifeflight touches down on Earth to the beginning of Bow and Arrow.
1. Chapter 1

"W-Winnie? D-D-Do you remember when w-we met?"

Winnie looks up from the dishes, with her hair pulled back out of her face. "Huh?"

"Y-You remember when we met?" he asks. "Th-That was s-so long ago..."

She smiles. "Ya, I guess it was."

He sighs, a smile tickling his lips. "Mmm...that brings b-back memories..."

...

Wait...wasn't there a shuttle due today with more Mecha? Oh well, doesn't matter right now...a dogfight had happened in someone's backyard, and there are two dogs at the compound needing supplies. Winnie was on her way to medbay to find some of the necessary things.

She jogs down the road to base. It was late fall, and the leaves crunched and crackled across the dirt road. Base soon comes into view and she slows to a walk. Entering the mainbay, it is strangely quiet. Not thinking much of it, Winnie runs into the mainbay, quickly locating the supply cabinet she was searching for.

"Ratchet, I'm stealin' some of your stuff."

She fills up a couple of boxes with stuff - not a lot, but it's bulky, and when she picks them up it's stacked over her head.

Silence. He must be at the landing.

She straightens up and steps forward, the boxes balanced precariously. She walks towards the Medbay entrance, running into a few empty berths on the way out. The door slides open, and as she steps out, runs into someone walking in. The boxes go flying, and each person lands hard on the ground.

Winnie lands on her rear, and sees the blue mech.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" she says, scrambling for the scattered equipment.

"O-O-Oh d-dear," he says, looking Winnie up and down. "I-I-I didn't-t mean-n t-to run int-to you."

"No. No, it was my fault, I'm sorry," she says, shoving a pack of syringes into the box.

"A-A-Are you alright-t?" he asks, still more focused on Winnie than the supplies.

"Hm? Oh, yeah," she says, standing up and holding out a hand to help him up. "Are you?"

"Y-Yeah," he says. "L-L-Landed a little-le too h-hard on my r-rotors, b-b-but I'm okay."

"I'm sorry," she says as he stands up.

Some of the supplies had rolled over to where he stands, and he gathers up a few packages of gauze rolls, holding them out to Winnie.

She smiles up at him and takes the gauze. "Thanks."

He smiles a little, and he looks into her eyes until she breaks the contact to search for more supplies.

"Wh-What's your-r n-n-name?" he asks.

She picks up one of the boxes. "Oh, sorry. I'm Winnie. I don't think I've seen you around before."

"I-I-I just-t arrived-d on th-the shuttle," he says. "I-I-I'm stationed at-t this-s base now."

"Oh cool!" She smiles to him, picking up another box. "Welcome to Anilex."

"Th-Thank you," he says, smile growing a little wider. "Th-They said-d there was-s a-an indigenous sp-species

here...a-are you o-one of them?"

"Uh-huh. There's a human village a mile or so down the road."

"Lifeflight! Impolite! Go find your new quarters," Ratchet says, walking in. "Either that or talk with Silverbolt."

The new medic looks up at Ratchet, and his eyes widen.

"O-Okay," he replies timidly. "I-I-It was-s nice t-t-to meet you, W-Winnie."

"You too. Oh! I didn't catch your name," she says.

"O-Oh! L-L-Lifeflight," he says.

"Well nice to meet you, Lifeflight," she says, struggling with the last box. "See ya around."

"O-Okay," he says, watching Winnie walk out into the mainbay.

"W-Wow," he murmurs, one she is out of earshot.

"Get your head out of the clouds and get going!" Ratchet insists roughly. "Go!"

Winnie walks out of Base and back down the road. Returning to the compound, and takes care of both dogs, soon releasing them to their owners.

...

It was a few weeks later when she saw Lifeflight again.

That morning was really cold, and the road had tried to ice over in the night, which left the dirt in a muddy mess. Winnie wouldn't be surprised if she got a call in the next hour. But right now, she was content to scrape the frozen patches off the windows.

"Winnie! We've had a few Autobot crashes...can you come in and give a hand or two?" Ratchet coms.

"Sure thing. Where do I go?" she says, putting down the scraper.

"Base. Bring your Pa'li in case we need to haul someone's stupid aft out of a ditch."

" 'Kay," she says, running over to the stables.

She pulls the sleepy Brawny out of his stall, and slings on his saddle. Climbing on, she trots him onto the road and towards Base. As she rides up to the base, Ratchet coms her again.

"Stop. Instead, go to HHN (human housing number) 131. I have a medic there that needs aide."

"Okay." she says, turning the horse around in the slippery mud.

"Good. Hurry, I don't know what he needs."

She pushes Brawny a little harder, careful of the soggy patches on the edges, and soon arrives at one of the familiar houses. The people in 131 had been some of the first to move in. A pained scream is heard from inside. She slides off the horse and sends him to eat some grass.

"Uh..hello?" she calls walking up to the door.

"I-I'm in here," the medic calls. "Are you my aide?"

"Yes. Um, I think..." She opens up the door.

Walking back to the source of the sound, Winnie gingerly opens a bedroom door, revealing Lifeflight with a human female.

"W-Winnie!" he chirps. "I-I didn't know you w-were on the m-medical-l t-t-team."

"Uh-huh," she says, looking in. "Um..."

"I n-need s-s-some things-s," he says, as the woman cries out again. "You're doing fine, it's looking just fine. C-C-Can you bring m-me another b-bucket of warm-m water and some r-rags?"

She nods and closes the door again. Running into the back she finds a few spare towels and fills the bucket in the sink. She runs back and opens the door a little.

"Here," Lifeflight says, holding his hand out. "Th-Thank you s-so much...st-stay close, I m-m-might need your hands."

He pushes the woman's legs up, and nods. "Now, _push_."

Winnie sets the water down and stands up against the wall. "Push, femme, push," Lifeflight instructs. "Come on..."

"It HURTS!" she screams at him, and his rotors close back.

He grabs a rag and dampens it in the bucket. "I kn-know, I know," he says. "Push, again."

She walks over beside the woman and reaches out to hold her hand. "It's gonna be fine, Penny."

She cries out again, hands gripping the side of the bed hard. Thin muscle runs along her stomach as she pushes again, and Lifeflight nods.

"Y-You're almost there, it's nearly here. I c-can see the head," Lifeflight says, cleaning the fluids away with a warm rag.

Winnie crouches by the bed and smiles to her.

"But I'm so tired..." she mumbles, as Lifeflight insists on another push.

"D-Don't stop," Lifeflight says, "Don't stop."

"Come on," Winnie says softly.

Penny cries out again with pain from a body-wracking contraction, and Lifeflight smiles. "So close...o-one more, one more..."

She strains hard, and the baby is in the world.

"W-Wake up, little one," Lifeflight says, grabbing a dry rag and rubbing the baby. "C'mon, wake up..."

He rubs fiercely on the baby, and tense seconds tick by. One, two, three, four...and the infant comes to life with a piercing cry.

"There," he says, cleaning it gently. "Th-That's it."

Winnie smiles and rubs the back of the new mom's hand.

"Jeez," the woman gasps. "That was a lot of work."

Lifeflight finishes up cleaning the baby, and smiles, as he sticks a finger in its' mouth to look down the tiny, screaming throat.

"A h-healthy mech," he pronounces. "W-Would you l-l-like to hold him?"

"Yes," the woman gasps, chest still heaving.

Winnie takes the baby from Lifeflight's arms and gently hands it to her. She cradles the little boy, watching as he coos and looks up at her, a little hand reaching up to touch her face. Winnie smiles and steps back from the scene. As the afterbirth quietly frees itself, Lifeflight dampens another rag and cleans up the mess still left.

"I-I think we're done," he says. "T-T-Take it-t easy, n-now."

"I will," Penny says, completely entranced by her new baby.

Winnie leaves Lifeflight to his job and slips out into the hall. She meets the father in the hall and smiles, nodding to the door. She walks out and calls Brawny over, reaching up to com Ratchet for more instruction.

"W-Winnie! W-W-Wait for-r me-e!" Lifeflight calls, bringing out the bucket with the bloody, messy rags in it.

She turns around and walks over to him.

"Th-Thank you f-f-for the help," he says, dumping the bucket out on the grass.

She smiles and lets Brawny wander. "I wasn't that much of a help."

"Y-You helped-d," he says, "th-thank you."

"Anytime." She smiles up at him and looks to the rags. "You need help with that?"

"I-I'll let th-the p-p-precipitation r-rinse them," he says. "Is...is-s there a name f-for that-t on Arth?"

Winnie smiles and laughs. "Er...Earth. And precipitation is called rain." She looks back down again. "It might not be the best idea to leave them out...something is liable to smell it and come looking."

"S-Something?" he asks, cocking his head.

"Yeah..." she says, picking up the rags. "Predators and stuff. It would easy to run it out...but still."

"Hmm," Lifeflight says, picking up some more rags and wringing them out. "W-What's a p-p-predator?"

She hangs the a rag on the edge of the bucket. "Animals that eat meat. Eat us."

"I'm n-not made of...wh-what's meat?"

"Oops, sorry, I meant humans. Um...meat is like our flesh, muscle, guts and stuff," she says, poking her arm.

"Oh," Lifeflight says. "I-I need-d a new d-d-dictionary."

She smiles and laughs. "I'll try and find you one."

"Th-Thank you," he says.

"Winnie! We need you at these coordinates. Alpha 437, Baseline 9. There has been another crash, and Brawny is needed."

She nods and touches her com. "On my way."

She calls Brawny over and hops up on his back. "See ya around? Sorry to leave you with this," she says to Lifeflight.

"Th-That's alright," Lifeflight says. "Y-You might-t s-see m-me if you c-c-can't pull-l the v-vehicle out."

She smiles and nods, kicking Brawny into a trot down the road. She rides onto the designated coordinates, and spots the Mecha at the bottom of a steep hill. His chassis is pretty beat up, and he has quite a few energon leaks.

He groans, and calls weakly, "Help me..."

"Oh great."

She slides off Brawny's back, and grabs her pack off his saddle. She trips and stumbles down the hill to the bot's side, kneeling down and pulling a wad of gauze and a rag out of her bag.

"Nngh..." he moans. "Ow..."

Winnie looks up at him and wraps the rag around one of the wounds. "Shh...med team is on their way."

She fastens a tight knot around the leak. A chopper is heard overhead, and a strange-looking blue helicopter passes by.

"D-DO YOU N-N-NEED AIDE?" he questions, shouting over the airblades.

She looks up at the copter. "Lifeflight? Um...yeah. You got a welding torch?"

"I A-AM EQUIPPED. G-GUIDE MY T-TOW LINE!" A cabling system uncoils a long, thick, metal line, and it descends to nudge the ground near Winnie. "HOOK IT-T UNDER TH-THE REAR A-AXLE."

She does so and winces when the mech groans. Once its secure she calls back up to Lifeflight. " 'Kay."

He begins to ascend, and the mech moans as he is lifted off the ground. Carefully, Lifeflight eases over to set the mech on the road. The line unhooks, and he drops it down by Winnie.

"DO YOU N-NEED AIDE R-REACHING TH-THE ROAD-D?"

"I got it. Could you go look for the medteam, though?" she calls, picking up her pack and scrambling up the side of the hill.

"THEY ARE H-HELD UP-P IN A P-P-PREVIOUS ENGAGEMENT."

Lifeflight retracts the line, and he goes back to hover over the road. He transforms, and lands on the muddy surface, sliding a little.

"C-C-Can you t-transform?" he asks, and the mech groans.

"I...don't know. I'll...try."

A sharp shrieking is heard as metal grinds against metal, and he is able to shift forms, lying broken on the road. As soon as he is whole, he cries out, hands searching out his gruesomely shattered leg. Winnie clambers over the last few feet of mud.

"Oh," she murmurs and then drops her bag, rummaging inside.

Lifeflight quickly slides over to the mech, and reaches into subspace. He pulls out a torch, first pulling the mech's arms away from the leg.

"W-Winnie, h-h-hold him," Lifeflight says, as he flicks the torch on. She nods and crawls over to the bot's shoulders, looking at his face. "What's your name?"

"K-Kickstart," the mech whispers, trembling lightly.

She smiles and puts a hand on his shoulder when she sees Lifeflight bend down. "Now, you're gonna be alright, Kickstart. You live at Base?"

"Y-Yeah," he mumbles.

"Cool. I don't think I've seen ya around before." She smiles.

"I-I'm part of-"

Lifeflight touches the torch to the mech's leg, and he stiffens and cries out. Winnie puts a hand on his other shoulder. "Shhh, it's gonna be fine."

Tears sparkle in his eyes as Lifeflight works on cauterizing the wounds.

"Have y-you ever b-b-broken your l-leg before?" Lifeflight asks quietly, setting the torch aside.

"N-No," the mech whimpers.

"Hmm...I-I've b-b-been told it-t feels-s like-," Lifeflight takes ahold of the broken limb and pulls hard on it, straight down.

The struts snap into place, and the mech screams again. Winnie leans down on him and then looks to Lifeflight.

"You done?" she asks quietly.

"Y-Yes," he says. "N-Now I will b-bind it, and b-bring-g him-m back to Base. W-Will you h-help-p me?" he asks.

She nods and comes over so she is next to him.

"I w-will transform, b-b-but I need-d help loading," Lifeflight instructs.

" 'Kay." She nods.

He steps back a short distance, and shifts into his vehicle form, opening the hatch in the back. She stands up and puts her hands beneath Kickstart's shoulders.

"Sorry," she mutters, as she begins to haul him towards Lifelight.

"Y-You're doing the best you can," the mech whispers.

She smiles and pulls his torso into the floor of the copter, gently bringing his legs in too.

"Wh-What about-t your Pa'li?" Lifeflight asks. "A-Are you r-ready t-to fly?"

She sticks her head outside and calls to Brawny. "Go home, Brawny!" The horse nickers and trots down the road, in the direction of the compound.

"A-Are you s-s-secure?" Lifeflight asks.

Winnie pulls the hatch closed and straps Kickstart into place. "Yeah."

"O-Okay," he says, and his engine fires up.

They slowly lift into the air, and begin heading in the direction of Base.


	2. Chapter 2

She leans over the mech, and checks for anymore wounds.

"Th-This is Lifeflight, inbound," the chopper coms. "No l-life threatening i-injuries, shattered l-left leg struts, slight patch j-job needed."

She finishes up and leans back against the inside of the copter.

"We a-are nearly to B-Base," Lifeflight says.

"Cool, thank you." Winniesmiles to the injured mech.

She feels them begin to descend, and the hatch opens, revealing a landing pad. A waiting team of medics is standing outside, and begin to pull Kickstart out. She climbs out after him and then turns to face Lifeflight.

"Thank you. I better find out where Ratchet needs me now."

"I-I'll go w-with you," Lifeflight says.

As soon as Kickstart and Winnieare free, he transforms, and stands up.

"Yo sure? I don't want to be a nuisance." She asks.

"I n-never s-s-said you were," he says, following the medteam to the lift, to enter the medbay.

She smiles and reaches up to her com. "What else ya got, Ratchet?"

"Come into the bay," he says gruffly.

"Okay." She replies walking in.

As soon as he is face to face with her, he sighs. "Alright. Help the team who just brought that mech in. He needs a hand to hold."

Lifeflight turns to him. "Wh-Wh-What d-d-do you want-t m-me t-to-"

"Be quiet," Ratchet snaps. "Consolidate what you speak. I can't focus when you have so many unnecessary sounds."

Lifeflight looks up at him and then down. "I...I...wh-wh-wh-wh-"

"Easy, Lifeflight. Come clear your thoughts," a patchy white and red mech says, walking over with a beaten up clipboard.

He guides Lifeflight away, down a side hall. Ratchet huffs, and glares down at Westie. "Don't look at me, get to work," he grumbles.

Winnieraises her eyebrows to him, and follows the team with Kickstart.

"Ow," Kickstart moans weakly, as the team begins to work him over.

She walks up to the side of the berth and smiles at him. "Hey."

He looks up at her fearfully. "M-My leg hurts," he whispers.

She leans up against the berth. "It's gonna be okay. You're gonna be fine in a bit."

He swallows anxiously, and whines as the medic at his leg begins to cauterize and bind it further. Winnietaps the back of his hand bringing his attention away from the team. "Hey."

His eyes search hers for meaning, and cautiously, he wraps his fingers around her hand. "Are you going to leave?"

"Not if you don't want me to," she murmurs, smiling down at him.

"Please don't," he mumbles.

"Alright."

"You've made a mess of your leg," one of the medics says, inspecting the broken struts.

Winniesmiles. "I second that," she says quietly.

Kickstart grits his denta as they finish with his leg, and the other two medics leave.

"I think you'll live," the head medic of the team teases.

"Want me to stick around?" Winnieasks.

"Please don't leave," Kickstart says. "I m-mean...if it's not conflicting with any work you have."

"Nope," she says pulling a chair over to the side of the berth.

He smiles weakly, and sighs as Winniesits down. "Thank you..." he mumbles, as his eyes flutter shut.

"No problem," she replies quietly and smiles as he falls asleep.

His breathing evens out, and Winnienow has a chance to look around Base. Three other Mecha are in the medbay, each being tended to by a medic. A few moments pass, and Lifeflight creeps out of wherever he was taken into. Winniesmiles at him as he walks out and leans back in the chair. He spots her, and walks over, easing down in another chair beside her.

"Hi," she says, looking over at him.

"Hi," he says softly.

"So, what's up?" she asks, smiling.

"N-Nothing," he says. "M-My mind is-s c-c-clear. Winnienods and tilts her head, playing with a string on her jeans. "I-Is he okay?" Lifeflight asks.

"Yeah. Really, he was just scared," she says, looking to the mech on the berth. Lifeflight smiles, and leans back, shifting when his Cybertronian airblades get in the way.

"I-I need a-a n-n-new alt-t mode," he says quietly, shifting again.

"Doesn't work too well on Earth, does it?"

"N-No," he says.

She nods and shifts in her seat. Lifeflight sighs, then receives a com. "Y-Yes, I'm c-coming."

"Gotta go?" Winnieasks.

"Y-Yeah...d-d-do you wanna c-come?" he asks.

"Um..." She slides her fingers gently away from Kickstarts hand. "Where ya goin'?"

"I don't-t know, a-all I h-h-have is c-coordinates," Lifeflight says. "I th-think it's in-n a h-human settlement."

"Hmm...I wonder what's up."

"Emergency."

"Lovely," she nods, and stands up. Lifeflight beckons to her, and then leads her out, out of the mainbay to the outside. He transforms, and opens the cockpit.

"S-Seats might b-be a b-bit too big," he says.

"Thank you." She says hopping in.

His engine fires up, and they begin to ascend. Winniesettles into one of the large chairs and watches the scenery fall away. As they start moving forward, she notices Lifeflight sticks close to the tops of the trees, maybe a little higher. She doesn't ask about it, thinking it rude, and looks down. The trees she knew so well were different from above.

"Hmm...d-d-do you live in Base?"

"No," she says, looking out towards the compound.

"Oh."

"I live outside the village a ways," she corrects.

"Th-The one nearest-t Base?" he asks.

"Yep," she says, as the village comes into view.

"H-How far out-t?" he asks.

"Not too far. Mile. Maybe a mile and a half."

"W-We are h-here...o-oh d-d-dear."

Winniepulls her eyes away from the trees and looks down. A massive sinkhole has eaten a fifty-foot radius into the forest, with crumbling houses and structures on the edges.

"Oh no..." she breathes, eyes widening. Before they even touch the ground, she is jumping out, racing to the pit.

"W-Westie! C-Come back! Th-Th-The edge might be unstable!"

Winniereaches into her pack and pulls out a rope. She turns, quickly tying it around a near tree.

"Westie!" Lifeflight calls.

She flicks her eyes up him, finishing the knot.

"W-Will you be m-m-my eyes?" he asks. "I don't h-have a h-holoform yet-t, a-and I've b-been ordered t-to act as s-search and rescue."

Winnienods and drops her pack by a tree.

"If...if you're g-going int-to that hole...w-well..." he mumbles. "If y-you find s-someone, online o-or not, alert m-me, and I w-will send the line d-down. M-My com channel-l is two-eight-three, my m-medic number."

"Two-eight-three. Got it," she says, tying the other end of the rope around her middle.

"O-Okay," Lifeflight says, watching her approach the edge. "Be...b-be safe."

"I will." She smiles and slides down into the sinkhole.

Winnieclimbs over the rubble, passing a few people who scramble up and out. She ducks into one of the houses, broken and mangled.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" she calls.

"Help..."

"Stay there. Keep talking." She crawls into the darkness of a house.

"Mama...mama..."

"It's alright," she says to the small voice.

She stumbles around the broken wood and finds the child huddled in a corner. Smiling she approaches the little one. Tears track down his dirty cheeks, and his arms are wrapped around himself.

"Mama..."

Winnierecognizes the little boy and extends her arms scooping him up. "It's alright, let's find your mama."

She walks back to the door and taps her com to channel two-eight-three.

"Lifeflight?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Ask around for the mother of a little boy named Jack. I have him, and am coming out," she says.

"O-Okay..."

She carefully ducks around the doorway. "Was your sister with you?" she asks the little boy.

"Grandma's..." he mumbles. "Mama..."

"See, there's Mama," Winniesays, pointing up to a woman pacing back and forth along the edge.

"Mama!" he cries, hands out.

Winniesmiles and scrabbles, one-handed up the side of the hole. She reaches the top and sits on the lip, handing the boy to his mother.

"Thank you so much," the mother gasps, relieved.

Winnienods. "Did you see anyone else that didn't get out?"

"The houses further down," she says, peeking over the edge.

" 'Kay. Thanks." She smiles and slides back down, then picks herself up and hurries into the next houses, calling out.

There aren't any answers from the first houses and she doesn't find anyone when she digs. On the sixth house, she receives an answer.

"My arm! My arm's stuck!"

"Okay. Don't move." She ducks into the house. Picking her way through she follows the voice.

"Ahh...stupid arm."

She comes around a pile and sees the familiar face on the ground. His arm is locked between a rafter and the torn up floorboards, and she drops down beside him.

"Does it hurt?" she asks examining the beam.

"Well yeah," he grits.

" 'Kay." She shoves her fingers underneath the board. "Try and wiggle it," she grunts, lifting up.

He tugs on his arm, but grunts in pain and stops. She lets go and then looks around the board again.

"Why? Wait..." She closes her eyes and sighs. "Marcas, let go of it."

"Let go?" he asks with a smile. "My goodness, you're right."

She rolls her eyes and sticks her hand under again. She grunts and lifts up. Marcas frees his arm easily, and sits back on the floor.

She looks at him and stands up. "Okay. Out," she says, pointing to the door.

"As you wish," he says with a coy smile. As he walks past her, she feels him run a hand over her hip, feeling her belt for any tools.

She smacks his hand and grabs the small knife that he took. "Out."

"I'm leavin', I'm leavin'," he says, stepping out into the muddy sun. "Jeez...didn't know I was this far down."

She watches him scramble up the side and she hurries to the inner houses. These ones are deeper, and she is rudely yanked back by the rope. Grumbling, she unties it and moves forward.

A chopper is heard overhead, and Lifeflight slowly descends into the hole. "W-Westie! C-Come on...a lifescanner i-is coming."

She looks up at him and then back to the houses. "Just a few more. Seconds count," she says, stepping towards the rubble.

Her next step sends her sliding down the muddy slope.

"W-Westie!"

"I'm okay," she calls up. "I'll be out in a sec."

She climbs into one of the last houses. Empty. The next one, the very first to be in the sinkhole...inside is a couple, too weak to climb up the hillside.

"Lifeflight!" she says sticking her head back out. "I need a little help, please."

"I-I'm here," he replies. "Wh-What do you n-need?"

She looks behind her. "These two can't get up on their own. Do you have enough room to take off down here to bring them up?"she asks.

"M-Maybe...I m-might be able t-t-to hover low."

"Thank you so much." She smiles and returns to get the two people.

"I-I'm sorry," says the first person she meets, after a coughing fit.

"No-no, it's fine." Winniesmiles. "We're gonna get you out."

"Thank you."

Leading them out of their home, she helps them into the large chairs, in Lifeflight's front cockpit.

"Y-You t-t-too," Lifeflight says to Westie.

"I'm going to do one last sweep," she says, backing up.

"C'mon, that's wh-what the lifescanner does," Lifeflight says. "H-He is here and waiting f-f-for us."

She bites her lip and steps closer. "Okay."

She crawls into the front and hangs on, as the hatch closes. Lifeflight lifts off, moving up the hill. Once clear, he lands a short ways away, and opens the hatch for the two humans. She steps off as his rotors slow and helps the couple down onto the grass.

"Thank you so much," one of them says.

"Anytime." She smiles. "I'll come back later and find some lodging for you until your home can be rebuilt."

"Okay."

"W-Westie! C-Come watch the sc-scanner!" Lifeflight calls, transforming. "H-Have you ever s-seen one?"

She turns back to Lifeflight and then out to the hole. "No."

"Oooh..." he says. "Watch. L-Look a-a-at the size of-f those a-airblades."

A massive helicopter-looking alt mode comes over the trees, with an assembly of smaller mechs flying around near him. A silver jet arcs overhead.

"You're clear, Pulse."

" 'Kay."

Winnietilts her head back. "Whoa..."

The aircraft maneuvers over the hole, and then a bright blue light radiates down, in a sweeping motion, up and back. She steps back as it searches the area.

"I-It's like a g-giant m-medscanner," he says.

"Yeah..."

As the beam sweeps over and finds a lifesign, the body turns red in the light.

"There! A l-lifesign," Lifeflight says.

She hurries forward to the edge.

"No-no," Lifeflight says, reaching out to W-Westie. "O-Our job is d-d-done. Th-The fliers n-now pick up a-any

remaining l-lifesigns."

"But..." She looks at the piles of rubble.

"Th-They will n-not d-d-disturb the scan," he says. "Watch."

As the lifesign pops up, one of the jets peels away, diving down into the light...and it doesn't come up red. She sits down on the edge and watches intently.

"I-It's because of what-t th-their spark chambers are m-m-made of," he says, sitting down beside her. "Th-They block th-their lifesigns."

"Cool," she murmurs, entranced by the blue glow.

The first jet comes up out of the hole and lands behind Lifeflight and Westie.

"Medical aide!" he calls.

Winniejumps up and scrambles over to the jet. The cockpit folds back, and a bloody person rests in the seat.

"C'mon, c'mon!" he says. "I need to rejoin Airstrike! Thank you for taking her out, please watch the seat... eh... yes! Thank you!"

Winniegingerly pulls the woman out of the cock pit. She gingerly lays her away from the jet on the grass. Blood covers her face from a deep cut on her head. Other jagged, bleeding tears line her arm and shoulder.

"D-Does this c-call for-r a blowtorch?" Lifeflight asks.

"No. No, no, no. Where's my pack?" she asks, looking around.

"Tree," Lifeflight says.

"Oh yeah. One sec." She sprints around the the hole to the tree.

Lifeflight watches her bring the satchel back over, and paw through it. She brings out some gauze and a bottle of water. She un-caps the water and pours it over the woman's forehead, careful not to get it in her face.

"Wh-What can I do?" Lifeflight asks.

"Um..." She mumbles. "Undo this please."

She thrusts the roll of gauze in his hands and she examines the cut. He picks at the tape sealing it, and then opens it up. Pulling one end of it from him, she presses it to the cut, and tears the piece off.

"Hold that, please."

He reaches across and holds it steady, as she rummages for more supplies. Winniepulls out a small knife and moves to the shoulder. She cuts back some of the cloth and skin to reveal a plethora of sharp splinters. She carefully pulls the largest out.

"I-Is...what is th-this?" Lifeflight asks.

"What's what?" she asks, looking up.

"Femme? I-I don't know y-your p-pronouns," Lifeflight says softly. "A-And this wh-white piece up-p here."

"White bit?" Winniesays moving back up to her head. "Oh." The skin is peeled back to reveal a patch of skull.

"Th-That isn't s-s-supposed to b-be there, right?"

"No. No, it's not. Just don't touch it," she says, thinking quickly.

"W-Westie...this l-looks a l-little s-s-severe to b-be patching o-outside."

"I know. We need to get her over to Ratchet."

"O-Okay," Lifeflight says. "H-He has r-r-remained at Base. P-Prepare to load."

He stands up estimating how much distance away he needs to be to put Winniein a safe position. he transforms, and opens the hatch.

"Westie! You need help loading?"

Winnielooks up and smiles. "Yes please, Hound."

"I didn't knw you were part of medical," he teases, carefully picking up the woman. "I presume you're with the set of airblades over here?"

"Uh-huh. This is Lifeflight. Lifeflight, Hound," she says, hopping in.

"P-Pleasure," Lifeflight says, watching as Hound lays the human inside.

"Alright, you two are set to go. Nice to meet you, Lifeflight."

"Th-Thank you," Lifeflight says. "Alright, W-Westie, t-t-time to go."

She waves to Hound and then returns to the unconscious person. Lifeflight shuts the hatch, and fires up his engine - Winniecan feel that he is tense.

"What's the matter?" she asks, examining the pulled back skin.

"E-Emergency patients-s are n-n-not my sp-specialty," he mumbles, lifting off the ground swiftly.

"Wow...you're doin' pretty good from my point of view."

"I d-deliver sp-sp-sparklings for a r-reason," he says.

"Well, you've been a great help," she says, rummaging through her bag.

"H-Hang onto s-s-something, I-I'm going t-to increase speed-d."

" 'Kay," she says, securing the woman.

The tug of new speed is felt, and Winnieis pushed back against the hatch door. She crawls forward and makes sure that the villager doesn't bump her head.

"C-Careful," he says. "I c-can go as-s f-f-fast as I w-want a-at this elevation," he says. "W-We will-l be a-arriving at B-Base within m-minutes."

"Thank you."

As they are passing over the forest, Lifeflight abruptly swerves to the left.

"Primus! Wh-What was that?" he asks, pressing his engine a little harder.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

...

She crawls over to the window. "Where?"

"It's a-a-already gone," he says. "Big a-a-and black and-d white...wh-what s-sort of things l-live on this p-planet?"

Winnie looks around, but can't see out and behind them. "I don't know..."

"Hmm. O-Okay," he says. "Base i-incoming."

Winnie returns to the other human and prepares to land.

"Three...t-two...touchdown," he says, as they land on the helipad.

The hatch drops open, and a kind medic steps for. "Hi, Winnie," he says. "What do we have here today?"

"Hi, 'Aid. Impact to the head. Skull is visible, no signs of swelling yet. Other than that, just minor injuries," she says, pulling the woman halfway out.

"Alright. I'll take it from here, Winnie. You and Lifeflight have been instructed to go back for other wounded."

"Thank you," she says handing the patient over.

"Yep," he says with a smile.

She smiles back and then crawls back into the copter. "Y-You can s-s-sit up front-t if you want," Lifeflight says softly.

"Thanks," she says, crawling up into the chair.

The hatch closes, and Lifeflight lifts off again, turning for the sinkhole again. As they come over the hole, a black and white blur races back under Lifeflight, and he compensates, ascending quickly to avoid whatever it was. Winnie stares after it, mouth open.

"Whoa."

"I-I have n-n-no idea wh-what that was," Lifeflight says.

"Neither do I. Was that what passed earlier?"

"Y-Yeah," he says.

She sighs as they touch down. "I'll track it later."

"O-Okay..." he says warily.

The hatch opens to let her out, and once she is out, he transforms.

"I th-think we ought t-to- Winnie!"

When Winnie turns back around...where was Lifeflight? Winnie looks around. "Lifeflight?"

"W-Winnie!" his voice is faraway...did he...

Winnie steps forward and the ground gives way at her feet. "W-Winnie!" he cries. "No!"

"Oh no you don't, femme," a gruff voice says. "I ain't fishing out another fleshy."

She grabs the edge as she slides down, then she feels a hand grab her shoulder, and haul her upwards. "There ya go," he says, standing her upright.

"Thank you," Winnie says, looking up at the mech and then down the new hole. Lifeflight skids down the mud, before slowly sticking in and sinking down.

"Are you hurt?" Winnie calls down.

"My a-a-airblades hurt," he coms up. "I th-th-think I b-b-broke one..."

"Just don't move." She spins around and almost runs into the mech that had helped her up.

"I see there's a bit of a problem," he says. "Nightside, pleased to meet you."

She smiles. "I'm Winnie. Pleased to meet you too," she says, then looks past him to where her rope was still tied around the tree.

He looks over his shoulder to what she was looking at. The rope. "Sorry, uh...femme...but I can't let you climb down there."

She looks back at him then down the hole. "Um..."

"Let me see what my CO has in mind," he says. "There may already be a plan in place for such an occurrence."

He reaches up and touches his com, leaving a smear of mud on his glorious black finish. "Nightside to Redbeam."

"Yes?"

"I have a medic stuck in the mud down here...we got Hoist on scene?"

"Yes...I will send him your way."

"Thank you," she says looking down the hole for Lifeflight.

He wriggles in the mud, but only sinks further. "W-Winnie..." he whimpers.

She sits on the edge of the hole. "Don't move. You're gonna get out."

"O-Okay..."

Winnie leans back and looks up, waiting for Hoist. After a few minutes, the green truck rolls into view. "Hey," he says. "Where is this muddy person?"

Winnie scrambles to her feet and gestures down into the hole.

"Alrigh'y." He reverses, and soon is sticking his truck bed over the edge. "Don' worry abou' me fallin' in," he says. "I won'."

"Good," Winnie says, kneeling by the edge again.

His tow line lengthens, and then his tow bar jerks up, and then throws the hook down beside Lifeflight.

"Sorry bou' this," Hoist says, and the cable of its' own accord, wraps around Lifeflight's waist.

Lifeflight yelps as it tightens, and then the winch starts up. Finally, the earth relinquishes him with a wet sucking sound, and Lifeflight squeals as he is pulled free. Winnie winces as he is brought up and raised out of the hole. Hoist moves forward a little, and then pulls Lifeflight up onto the solid part of the ground. Lifeflight grits his denta and groans when he is finally still, and when Hoist takes the cabling off, Lifeflight rolls over so he isn't touching any part of his back.

Two of the five blades are snapped clean off, the middle one bent sharply up.

Winnie crawls over next to him, unsure of what to do.

"Nngh...d-d-don't t-t-touch," he moans, "C-C-Call m-m-medic..."

She reaches up to her com. "Ratchet, can you spare anyone? Lifeflight needs help. His rotors..."

"Hi, Winnie! Currently, Ratchet is asleep, and I am taking all medbay coms...what's up with Lifeflight?" First Aid responds.

"Two of his rotors are broken, one bent," she says, eyes flicking over to him.

"Oh dear...well, I'll send someone over," he says. "Hmm...keep a lookout for a little white helicopter...he'll bring Lifeflight and you back."

"Thank you."

Hoist recoils his line. "Are you two se'?"

She looks up to him. "Um...I think so."

"Okay...Nigh'side, why don' you s'ay here and help them ge' in," he says.

"I will," the other mech says.

Winnie smiles up at Nightside, and then looks down at Lifeflight. Lifeflight sighs. "Th-Th-Th-Th..."

He gives up, and lies there quietly. Soon, helicopter blades echo in the distance, and Winnie looks up to the sky for the source of the sound. As promised, a little white helicopter flies over the trees, and lands near Nightside and Winnie. He transforms first, and stands up.

"Gosh darn it, Lifeflight," he says. "What would the Professor say if he saw you like this?"

"He'd c-c-call me a sp-sparkling," Lifeflight said, laughing weakly, on the verge of tears.

Winnie stands up and moves out of the way quietly. "I'm...I'm...I'm..." The helicopter freezes, inhaling a deep breath.

Nightside is picking Winnie up in a split second, as the white mech sneezes, and electricity crackles across his frame and into the ground.

"Sorry," Nightside murmurs in her ear. He sets her down, as the medic settles his rotors again.

"Pardon," the medic says. "My name is Lifeline. That is Lifeflight. I am Lifeline, he is Lifeflight. Lifeline. Lifeflight."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Winnie." She smiles.

"Hello...W...W...W..." Nightside picks her up again, as Lifeline sneezes violently again.

"Pardon," he says with a crooked smile. "Nice to meet you, Winnie. These trees hate me...and I suppose a malfunctioning sparkshocker doesn't help."

Nightside sets her on the ground and smiles.

"Well...let's get you up, Lifeflight, and then I'll take you back."

She steps back as Lifeline transforms and looks over to Lifeflight.

"C'mon," Nightside says, getting an arm under Lifeflight's shoulder. "Winnie, help me."

She nods and gets on his other side, careful not to touch his rotors. They carefully stand him upright, and he groans as they slowly walk over to where Lifeline is.

"Easy," Nightside says, as they carefully lower him down into the hatch.

Lifeflight bites his lip as tears sting his eyes, and he slowly scoots farther in. Winnie carefully helps him in and crawls back out once he is secure.

"You can...can...can..."

Lifeline takes another breath, and sneezes, electricity crackling in his rotors.

"You can come," he says. "The shocks cannot harm you inside."

"I would, but I need to wait and see what else needs to be done here."

"Okay..." Lifeline says. "Hang tight, Lifeflight."

Lifeflight looks up to Winnie, offering a small, hopeful smile.

"N-N-N-N-"

He sighs, and pulls out a datapad, typing in a few things. When he hands it to Winnie, she looks at it, but can't read it - the letters are in some dialect of Cybertronian.

Winnie searches the text. "Um..."

"I'll read it to you," Nightside says. "Go, you two."

Winnie steps back as the hatch closes, and Lifeline starts up, taking off. He sneezes, losing a few feet in altitude, then starts toward Base. She shows the datapad to Nightside, curious as to what it says.

"The next time you see me I will have my new alt mode," Nightside reads. "Be safe."

Winnie smiles and looks at the letters. "Cool. Thanks."

"Yep," Nightside says.

She smiles and looks back to the sinkhole.

"I actually think most of the work is done," Nightside says.

"Good." She looks over to the humans milling around the edge.

"Winnie? How is the situation out at the sinkhole?" First Aid coms.

"Everyone is out, I guess," she replies.

"Good...you need transportation back to Base - Ratchet has marked you as active today."

"Wow...been a while since that happened," she says. "On my way."

"Alright. I got you stationed for general patch jobs...out in front medbay with me."

" 'Kay." She looks up at Nightside. "I gotta go. It was nice to meet you."

"I'm sure you'll see more of me," he says, with a smile.

"See ya," she says, picking up her pack and heading to the road.

"You need a lif'?" Hoist calls, coming up behind her. "I don' have a cab, but you can si' in the back."

"If that's not a problem. Thank you."

"Sure," Hoist says.

"Thanks." She says. "I need to go talk to someone real quick though."

She runs over to the crowd and talks to person rushing through. The woman nods, and sighs in relief. Winnie then returns to Hoist.

"You ready?" he asks.

"Yep." She smiles and hops into back.

"I hope there aren' any more 'rees down," Hoist sighs. "There were qui' a few, earlier."

"Hopefully," she says, as they start down the road.

A few minutes go by, when Hoist rolls to a stop. "I guess no'," he says. "Well, hmm...can you wrap my line around the log?"

"Sure," she says, hopping out.

Hoist reverses and then backs up to the tree, halting when Winnie puts a hand out. She reaches up and takes his hook, quickly wrapping it around the wood. Once it's secure, she waves and gives Hoist a thumbs-up.

"Come up here where I can see you," he calls.

She runs around to the front and watches him. He transforms, standing up with the chains in his hand. Winnie notices he only has one, like Grapple, but he is missing the right, not the left. He tugs once on the chain to make sure it is tight, and then hefts the log up.

"Why do these grow so _big_?" he asks, maneuvering the log over to the side of the road.

Winnie smiles. "Probably just to annoy you."

He laughs. "Tha's wha' I though'."

She walks over as he finishes up with the log, setting it on the side of the road and unchaining.

"Alrigh', you ready?" he asks. She nods and watches him transform again. She hops back in and looks down the road.

"So...you're a medic?" Hoist asks.

"Yeah...kinda." She smiles.

"Hmm. I'm in Cons'ruc'ion with my bes' friend Grapple. We buil' the Base here...and we los' our hands 'ogether," Hoist laughs.

"You guys built Base?" Winnie asks, then she is quiet when he mentions his hand.

"Yep. Me and Grapple and a couple of others."

"That's awesome." She smiles.

"Yeah!" he calls to the world. "_Finally_ someone who doesn' 'ake the Base for gran'ed." His engine purrs in contentment. "I know you're thinking abou' my hand," he says. "I have i' in a jar if you wan' 'o see."

"Really?" she asks.

"Yeah. We both go' s'uck under a beam during the collapse of Iacon, and had 'o... remove... them 'o be able 'o ge' 'o safe'y," he says. "Grapple doesn' like 'o 'alk abou' tha'... bu' they don' bother me as much."

"Wow."

"If you go' 'ime when we ge' back, I'll show you my jar."

She smiles. "Wow. Thank you. I don't know what First Aid has for me, though."

"I'm sure he can spare you for a momen'," Hoist says, "Although if you need 'o be in medbay, I can always bring the jar 'o you."

"Cool," Winnie says with a smile.

"Grapple, this is Hois'. I'm almos' 'o Base."

"I will see you soon, Hoist," Grapple replies, his warm voice echoing through Hoist's outside speakers. She smiles and sits up on her knees as they approach.

...

As they pull into Base, Hoist lets Winnie out before transforming. He walks in with her, passing by a visibly irked Prowl standing in the mainbay.

"Winnie!" First Aid chirps, as she walks into medbay. "Your timing is exquisite."

"I'll go grab my jar," Hoist says, leaving Winnie in medbay.

"Come help me over here," First Aid says.

She walks over to the medic. "What's up?"

"Eh, nothing much. Just patching up a couple of Mecha that got _hit with a wrench_," he says, flicking the red mech sitting on the berth in the head.

"Ow!" Sideswipe winces. "Hatchet hit me there!"

"I know," First Aid says with a gentle smile. "Winnie, can you help Sunstreaker?"

"Don't touch me," the yellow mech growls.

"Be nice," First Aid reprimands. "Winnie could shoot you through your optic with an arrow fifty feet away," he says, winking down at the huntress.

Winnie walks over a little warily and smiles at Sunstreaker. The supplies sit on a tray next to him on the berth, and he glowers at Winnie as she picks up a bottle of cleanser to sterilize the split on his helm. Winnie ignores the glare and smiles still. She pulls out a cloth and dunks some cleanser on it.

"Now, what did you guys do?"

"The Hatchet threw a wrench at us," Sideswipe says with a wry smile. "Totally worth it, though."

"Shut up, idiot," Sunstreaker growls.

Winnie pushes Sunstreaker's head to the side and starts to clean the cut. "May I ask what "it" was worth?"

She smiles at Sideswipe. Sunstreaker growls when she pushes his view to the side, but lets her tend to his wound.

"High-grade," Sideswipe says. "Amongst other fun things. What is a 'magazine', though? I thought it meant round of ammo."

"Well it does, but it can also be like a book. But it has lots of pictures and has articles in it talking about different subjects. It depends on what kind of magazine it is," she says, smiling.

"Oh. '_Good Housekeeping_'?" Sideswipe asks. "He gave me a couple of those, and a '_Beef_'."

Winnie laughs. "'_Good Housekeeping_' is gonna be on gardening, decorating your house, making food and stuff. '_Beef_' is gonna be cattle raising and stuff."

"What is 'cattle'?" Sideswipe asks.

"Cows," Sunstreaker grumbles, jerking a little as Winnie dabs with the cleanser.

"I don't have a house to decorate," Sideswipe sighs.

"Well just to decorate anything. During the holidays it gives some good dress-up ideas too." She leans closer to Sideswipe and whispers. "Sometimes it works as some good pranks on friends."

He cracks a mile-wide smile, and his eyes twinkle with mischief.

"Noted," he whispers back. "What's your name?"

"Human," Sunstreaker lists. "Femme. Female. Blonde. _Wench_."

"Hey," First Aid says, flicking Sunstreaker in the helm. "Behave."

"The cleanser stings," he grumbles.

"Well, I'm done with that bit now," she says, putting the rag down. "I'm Winnie."

"That's a pretty name," Sideswipe says, tasting the letters. "Winnie. Winnie. Winnie."

"Thanks," she says.

"I think you would deserve blue paint," Sideswipe says, eyeing her.

"Technitron green," Sunstreaker says, suddenly interested. "To highlight your eyes."

"Meh, art buff," Sideswipe huffs.

Winnie smiles and fingers through the tray, pulling out two tacks. Sunstreaker eyes her warily. "First Aid..."

"She is completely cleared for patchwork. Be quiet. She won't touch your finials," First Aid says, working on the much larger split on Sideswipe's forehead.

She sticks her tongue out and smiles continuing to work. The tiny spot welder is in the tray, and she picks it up as well. Stretching up, she puts one tack along the split, running vertically to his 'eyebrow'. Firing up the tiny welder, she moves closer, about to touch it to his skin, he shifts subtley, and Winnie loses her grip, and drops the tack.

"Shoot." She pulls the welder back and fumbles for the tack. "Sorry."

Sunstreaker smirks, and watches as she picks it up, and tries again. Once more, he barely moves, and the tack falls again.

She scowls at him and repeats the process, but before moves she pulls back and then forward, smiling when she finally gets it. Sunstreaker grumbles, any inkling of a devilish smile disappearing. Winnie begins to weld it on, and he sighs when she finishes with the first one, reaching for another tack.

She smiles and puts the tack alongside the other one and waits to see what the bot does. He waits until she is about to weld, and then he moves, knocking the tack away. When Winnie practically slips and falls on him, he waits until she is upright again before cracking a smile, and starting to laugh.

"I like you," he says, as she picks up the tack and starts to weld again.

"Thanks." She smiles. "Feeling's mutual."

She finishes welding the tack on, and sets the welder down in the tray. "I TOLD you there was someone out there who liked you," Sideswipe says, giving Sunstreaker a punch in the arm.

"Frag off," he says, turning his attention back to Winnie. "Where do you live?"

"A little ways outside the human village," she says putting the welder back on the tray.

"The big compound with a Pa'li run?" he asks.

"Yep. That's the one."

"Oh. I've painted the trees there," he says.

"Oh, so you're the one who did that," she says, smiling.

"Yeah," he says quietly. "Did you like it?"

"Like it? Dude, that was incredible!" she says.

His face flushes, and he looks down at his lap. Winnie pokes his shoulder. "They were, dude." His face only deepens in color, and Sideswipe smirks, choking back laughter.

"Aw, you broke 'im," he jokes, and Sunstreaker doesn't move, but suddenly Sideswipe deflates. "I'm sorry," he says quietly, putting a hand over, palm up, on Sunstreaker's leg.

"Alright. You done over there, Winnie?" First Aid asks.

"Uh...yeah," she says, feeling bad about what she.

Sideswipe reaches out with his free hand and flicks Winnie in the forehead lightly. Winnie gives him a half smile. "Nice to meet you two. Have fun with your magazines, and I'm sorry," she says quietly.

Sunstreaker doesn't look up, but Sideswipe smiles. "Probably wasn't wisest to say where you live," he says, sticking his tongue out. "I won't limit the amount of dead opossums appearing on your doorstep."

"I'm sorry," she says, confused.

"Eh," Sideswipe says. "Too many good things cause processor overload. We'll see you in the future?" he asks hopefully.

"Winnie! I found my jar!"

She nods. "See ya."

She then turns to Hoist. Inside the jar is a rusty, old, five-fingered hand.

"Nea', huh?" he asks, shaking it a little. "My old righ' hand."

Winnie walks over to him. "Wow..." she says, peering inside.

"I wouldn' advise 'aking i' ou'," he says. "I don' know wha' kind of disease i' migh' hold." He sticks his tongue out at her.

She sticks her tongue out back at him and looks in the jar.

"I think i' looks so _cool_," he says. "Tha' made my _hand_."

She smiles. "Yeah."

"I mean...main energon line, nerve cabling...so many par's," he says. "Anyways...I hope I'm no'... no'... upse'ing you? Is tha' the 'erm?"

She looks up at him. "Hm? Oh no. No. I think its cool." She smiles.

He smiles back at her, and then a mech walks into medbay.

"Hoist? What are you...oh. The jar. Could you please go put it...away?" the tall, bulky, yellow mech says. "Please?"

Winnie straightens up and looks up at the new mech.

"Oh...yes, Grapple, of course. Why don' you come with me?"

She stands back as he walks over, and she turns to Hoist again. "See ya later?"

"Okay!" Hoist calls. "Bye, Winnie."

"See you!" She smiles and then looks around Medbay.

"I think Lifeflight is getting his new alt mode," First Aid calls. "You wanna go watch? We're done here."

"Sure... I mean... if that's okay," she says, turning to him.

"Yeah, it's no secret," First Aid says. "You might even help him pick it out if he hasn't got a designated one already."


	4. Chapter 4

"Cool," she says, walking over to him.

"Alright, now pretend like you're going to go down to surgical bay...go down that hall, and keep going. As you reach the end, take a left, and that door should open up the correct room for you."

" 'Kay. Thank you." She smiles and heads off in the direction he described.

Once down at the end of the hall, Winnie opens the door to a large, dark room. On the left wall is a large computer system, and Lifeflight stands by it while another mech types in some characters. She stands by the wall, now second-guessing if she should be there.

"W-Winnie?" Lifeflight asks, lit blue eyes blinking in the dark.

"Hi. Are your rotors alright?" she asks quietly.

"N-No...I've g-g-got a bar t-to hang-g on t-t-to." He offers a hopeful smile. "I'm o-okay, th-though."

"Ouch. Sorry," she winces.

"Who art thou?" the other mech asks, swiveling in his seat to look over at Winnie, with... white... optics.

Winnie shrinks a little. "Um...I'm Winnie. Um...I don't believe we've met."

"The designation of mine is Indexical," the mech says. "I prefer thy ancient dialects to a more...modern tongue."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," she smiles warmly to him.

"Likewise," he says. "Now...does the alternate mode fit thy liking? Doth it be suited for thy frame?"

"Yes," Lifeflight says. "It-t f-f-fits."

"Grand. W...Winnie... wouldst thou like to observe?"

"Um...sure," she says, taking a step forward.

"Lifeflight, if you please, enter the arena. I shall display the specifications."

Indexical turns back to his computer, and types in something, and a hologram of a helicopter comes up in the middle of the room. Lifeflight carefully takes slow, wincing steps into the arena, and grabs the waiting bar.

"I'm r-ready," he says.

Winnie watches curiously from the wall. Indexical types in something else, and Lifeflight sighs, as the hologram solidifies.

"Scan," Indexical instructs, and Lifeflight begins to look over the model, eyes glowing brightly. Indexical motions to Winnie. "Come hither, child. This light shall be quite bright."

Winnie walks up closer, watching.

"Look away," he says, reaching out to turn Winnie from the light. Quite sharply, a blazing white light bleaches the room. She closes her eyes quickly, as the light shines. Lifeflight groans behind her.

"Yes, it doth fit well," Indexical murmurs. "Try thy transformation cog."

"O-Okay," Lifeflight says, and the sequence moves slowly, carefully putting him down into his new alt mode. "W-Wow...th-this feels...^ital^ good ^ital^."

Winnie opens her eyes, and blinks, trying to clear the spots from her eyes as she turns around.

"Yes, yes, that doth look pleasant," Indexical says. "Doth thy continue to function, Winnie?"

She nods and look up at where Lifeflight is. "Whoa," she says, as she sees his new alt mode.

"Y-Y-ou l-l-like?" he asks, rotors spinning around in a careful circle.

Winnie smiles and nods. "That's awesome!"

"Th-Thank you," he says timidly.

"Shift back, if you please," Indexical says. "I must see thy new form."

Lifeflight slowly changes back, standing up and stretching. His rotors have significantly shrunk in length and size, and his new blue paint shines brilliantly.

"I n-n-need to get-t my medic n-n-numbers-s p-painted on," he says, looking down at his new frame, "b-b-but what d-do you think?"

"It's fantastic." She smiles looking at the shimmering and soft blue colors.

"Yes, yes...I do think thy shouldst go to Sunstreaker and receive thy new paint," Indexical says. "I clear thee for duty."

"Th-Thank you!" Lifeflight says. "W-Winnie?"

"Hm?" she asks, eyes flicking up from the floor.

"Y-You w-w-wanna come with-th me?" he asks. "S-S-Sunstreaker is k-k-kinda..."

"I...I dunno. I kinda upset him earlier... but I will," she says, shuffling her feet.

"O-Okay!" Lifeflight chirps. "Th-Thank you, I-Indexical."

"Many welcomes," the mech says. "Doth close the door when you exit."

"Pleased to meet you!" Winnie calls, before following Lifeflight out.

"Thy company was lovely," he replies, turning back to his computer.

Winnie walks out of the room after Lifeflight, smiling.

"H-H-Have you e-ever met h-him before?" Lifeflight asks, walking with Winnie down the hallway.

She shakes her head. "No. I've been meeting a lot of people today."

"Hmm," he says.

They walk into the main whole of medbay, and Lifeflight coms Sunstreaker.

"A-A-Are you available t-t-to paint m-my numbers?" Lifeflight asks.

"Yeah, why?"

"I-I-I need th-them done...I-Indexical said-"

"Yeah, fine. Number five-oh-eight."

"O-Okay."

Lifeflight winces as the com is cut with a screeching sound.

"Qu-Quarters number five-oh-eight," Lifeflight says.

Winnie looks up at him as he winces. "You alright?"

"Y-Yeah," he says quietly. "S-So...ready?"

"I think. Are you sure you want me to go with you?" she asks, looking down the hall.

"I-I r-r-really d-don't want t-t-to g-go alone," he mumbles.

"Okay," she replies, looking back to him.

His shoulders slump in relief, and he smiles. "Wh-Which way d-d-do you think five-oh-eight is?" he asks.

Winnie looks up at the numbers. "I think it's this way," she says, pointing to the right hall.

"O-Okay!" he chirps. "I st-still have p-problems reading your l-language."

"Me too with yours," she smiles.

"R-Really?" he asks. "B-But then again, it-t i-i-is foreign..."

"Probably won't stay that way for long," she laughs, looking up at the numbers as they pass.

"I w-w-will show y-you how t-t-to read it i-if you want," Lifeflight says.

"Really?" she asks brightly. "That'd be awesome!"

"O-Okay," Lifeflight says. "We'll h-h-have t-to figure out-t a schedule."

She nods and smiles, looking up as they round the corner.

"Wh-What does this-s say?" he asks, tapping a door lightly, with an English number on it.

She looks over. "Five hundred and three. Five-oh-eight is up here."

"Wh-What does th-th-the five l-look like?" he asks.

She walks over and traces the five. "This one."

"Huh," he says. "S-So...you r-read left-t t-t-to right? O-Or right-t to left? St-Strange...we go u-u-up and d-d-down."

"Really? Some Old Earth languages used to do that. Some go right to left. In English, it's left to right."

"Oh," he says. "So that makes...the circle zeto, and the other tret."

When Winnie gives him a strange look, he corrects himself.

"I m-mean...th...th...three, and zero."

"Cybertronian numbers?" she asks.

"Oh...yes. A-Approximate p-p-pronunciation. The actual is-" He speaks, but the sound is metallic and slightly screeching.

"I o-o-only know I-Iaconian Standard," he murmurs, tracing the numbers.

"Still impressive to me," she speaks, smiling up at him.

He smiles, and sighs. "Cybertron..." Winnie is quiet for a minute, watching him trace the number.

"Wh-Which one is f-f-five-oh-eight?"

"This one up here," she says, walking up to the other door.

"Oh," he says.

They walk over to the door, and he raises a hand to knock, closing his eyes and cautiously rapping on the door. Heavy footsteps echo inside, and a gruff Sunstreaker opens the door.

"Eh?" he asks.

"P-P-P-P-" Lifeflight stammers, finally shutting his mouth and looking down at Winnie.

She looks up at Sunstreaker. "Lifeflight needs his numbers painted on," she says.

" 'Kay. Come on, then," he grumbles, stepping back from the door.

Winnie looks up at Lifeflight, and seeing that he doesn't move, walks in the door in front of him. He cautiously follows her in, and Sunstreaker shuts the door. Lifeflight jumps a little when the door shuts, bumping into Winnie.

"P-P-P-P-" he stumbles, clinging to Winnie.

"Calm down, jumpy," Sunstreaker sighs, walking into another room. "What am I doing today?"

She waits for him to respond, but he doesn't. "Just his medic number. Right?" she asks, looking to Lifeflight. Lifeflight nods timidly. "A-A-A-A..."

He sighs, and pinches the bridge of his nose. "F-F-F-F-"

Pulling out a datapad, he types in something, and hands it to Sunstreaker.

"Jeez, mech, get your mouth in line," Sunstreaker says, taking the datapad. "Okay, I can do this."

Winnie steps back a little and watches the bots. "Sit. I'll start with the armor ones first," Sunstreaker says. "She-human, sit."

Winnie raises her eyebrows and looks behind her. Seeing a stool by the wall, she walks over and sits down.

"You can sit closer, if you so desire," he says. "I don't bite that hard."

She smiles and picks up the stool, gently setting it back down, closer this time. Lifeflight sits back in the reclining chair, in the middle of the main room. Sunstreaker guides his arm over to a dip in the arm of the chair, and opens up a few of the items he had retrieved from the other room.

"Number?" he asks.

"T-T-T-T-" Lifeflight stumbles over the words, and his face flushes with embarrassment.

"Two-three-eight," she says, playing with a loose string on her shirt.

"Thank you," Sunstreaker says, looking to Winnie, eyes showing no gratitude.

He picks up one of the opened containers, and reaches into subspace, pulling out a...gun?

Winnie looks up at the movement. "Uh..."

He clips in the round, and shakes up the gun a little. He flips a switch, and leans over to Lifeflight's arm. Squeezing the trigger...paint? comes out of the tip, and he begins airbrushing an English '2' on the shining blue armor.

Winnie watches him paint and smiles. Within minutes, the English numbers "238" appear on Lifeflight's arm. Sunstreaker moves down, and starts brushing a strange shape on below the English. She tilts her head and watches the unfamiliar lines take form. Taking up about five inches of Lifeflight's vertical arm space, are strange shapes.

Sunstreaker sees the look on Winnie's face, and sighs. "Standard numbers," he says. "For those not versed in human tongues."

"Oh. Cool," she says quietly. Sunstreaker huffs. Once those numbers a finished, he moves to Lifeflight's other arm, spraying on the identical numbers.

"Now, the insignia..." he murmurs, reaching into subspace.

He pulls out a stencil and a roll of adhesive, and carefully tapes it to Lifeflight's trembling chest.

"Grr...stop moving," he growls, and finishes taping. Sitting back, he looks to Winnie. "Does this look straight?" he asks.

Winnie shifts forward and looks at the stencil. "I think so," she says, studying it.

Sunstreaker picks up his airgun, and Lifeflight trembles even harder as he nears him. "Stop _moving_," Sunstreaker growls. "Come here, human, if it makes this shaking stop."

Winnie stands up and pulls her stool next to him, giving the medic a small smile. He whines softly, looking over at her. "I'm not gonna hurt you," Sunstreaker rumbles.

She smiles, and nods reassuringly at him. Sunstreaker begins to airbrush again, and fills in the stencil as it should be.

" 'Kay...now, you want the alt mode ones done now too?" Sunstreaker asks.

Lifeflight nods, and Sunstreaker sighs.

"Fine. Let this dry, and then I'll have you change and we'll do it."

Winnie smiles. "That wasn't so bad, was it now?" she asks, sticking her tongue out.

Lifeflight sighs, head dropping back and eyes closing. Winnie leans back on her stool, and looks over to Sunstreaker. Sunstreaker sighs, leaning back as well. He crosses his legs, and sets the airgun on the floor. Winnie looks down and fiddles with the loose string, thinking back to earlier. Sunstreaker is content to sit in silence.

Finally, he sighs. "Why are you here?" he asks, looking to Winnie.

"Um...because Lifeflight asked me if I wanted to follow him. Why?" she asks, looking up.

"You seemed unhappy with me," he growls. "I thought you would go home."

"Um...no. I felt bad because I thought you were unhappy with me," she says.

"Don't _ever_ speak of my art," he growls. "It is not of what I enjoy."

"I'm really sorry. I didn't think... I'm sorry." She shrinks down.

"Stop. Talking."

He reaches into subspace, and almost angrily flings a datapad into Winnie's lap. She jumps at the quick movement and looks down at her lap. On the datapad, the screen glows to life. On it, a golden painting of Cybertron appears.

"Whoa," Winnie says, her eyes widening, trying to take it in.

"That," he growls, "is art. Not like this _filthy_ planet I have been left on."

Winnie winces at the description of her home world, but lets it pass, looking down in her lap.

"Brilliant structures, tall spires, _peace_. I remember peace. This world is _horrid_."

She shifts her feet, listening and bites her lip. He growls, sitting back, and then he stands up abruptly, looking angrier than ever.

"Both of you, out. _Out_ before I break something," he snarls, eyes raging with emotion.

Winnie stands up and hands him the data pad. "I'm sorry." she says quietly, and puts the stool back in its place.

She walks quietly from the room, biting her lip. Lifeflight is ejected swiftly after her, and clings to her shoulder as Sunstreaker growls loudly inside. Sideswipe walks down the hall, and slips past Winnie, handing her a dead opossum and winking playfully. He shuts the door, and the sound elevates, along with his softer voice speaking.

"W-Winnie?" Lifeflight asks timidly. "Wh-Wh-What is that?"

She looks up at him and then at the opossum. "That was me being an idiot. I'm really sorry."

"N-N-NO," he says, looking at the opossum. "TH-TH-TH-AT-T THING."

"Huh? Oh, this. This is a opossum," she says, putting it in her bag.

"A...wh-wh-what?" he asks.

"A opossum. It's an Earth animal. A filthy Earth animal," she says, closing the bag.

"Uh...e-e-ew," he mumbles, eyebrows knitting.

"I'm sorry," she says.

"I th-th-think I ought t-to go back to m-m-medbay," he says.

" 'Kay. I guess I'll see ya later then," she says, looking at the door.

"I-I'll walk b-b-b-back with y-you," he says.

"It's alright. You don't have to if you don't want to."

"A-A-At least-t out o-o-of the m-mainbay," he says. "I-It's awfully c-c-crowded."

She looks up and smiles a little. "Thanks."

He smiles, and they begin to walk down the hall, into the crowded mainbay. She ducks around the bots, and plays with the strap of her bag. Lifeflight sticks close to her side, and the crowd moves around them, until they both reach the openness of the fresh air. She stops outside and breathes in. "Thanks," she says looking out at the trees.

"Y-You're w-w-welcome," Lifeflight breathes, smiling.

The opossum's tail is sticking out if her bag and she puts it back in. "So...I guess I'll be seeing you."

"Okay!" he chirps, watching Winnie put the tail back in.

She looks up at him and smiles before starting down the road. Lifeflight sighs and watches her walk away, down to the human village. He smiles, and walks back inside, Winnie weighing heavily on his mind.

...

It was yet another week when they met again. Winnie had to come back to Base for more medical supplies, and met him in the medbay. She walks through the doors to the supply cabinet.

"Sorry, Ratchet," she calls to the empty room.

"Eh," he grumbles, reading something in his office. "Don't forget to put your name down for medbay hours if you take things."

"Sure thing," she says piling some syringes into a bag.

Lifeflight walks down the hall, stretching and yawning.

"H-Hi, W-W-Winnie."

She looks up, smiling at him. "Hi again."

"Wh-Wh-What do y-you need-d?" he asks, watching Winnie look through another cabinet.

"Just some antibiotics. All of mine have expired and I don't have the time to make it right now," she says, pulling out a labeled box.

"Hmm," he says, opening a small cryounit. "P-Penicillin?"

She glances up from the box. "Actually, yeah."

She smiles to him, putting the box away. He pulls out a medium sized glass jar, and moves to hand it to Winnie. It slips in his hand, and goes flying towards her. Leaning forward, she fumbles with it. It jumps from hand to hand, staying in the air.

"Oops."

Tripping over her own feet, she stumbles and falls towards the floor. He lunges forward, barely snatching the jar out of the air before tripping on Winnie. They both end up sprawled on the ground, Lifeflight holding the jar safely aloft.

She looks up from the floor and rolls on her back, laughing. "That was awesome!" He is grinning from ear to ear, and starts to laugh as well.

"^ital^ What ^ital^ is going on in there?" Ratchet calls from his office.

"We're being ninjas, that's what," she smiles, tilting her head back to look at the door. Lifeflight had been laughing so hard, his eyes sparkle.

"Wh-What's a-"

He pauses midspeech, and slides back onto the floor, eyes darkened. Winnie sits up, confused. "Lifeflight?"

He is still, and Ratchet chuckles, the warm sound echoing from his office. "Three...two...one..."

Lifeflight's eyes flicker and come back online. "-a n-ninja?"

"Um... you alright?" she asks, tilting her head.

"Hmm?" he asks, cocking his head. "Wh-What's a-a ninja-a?"

She pulls her, knees up, leaving her question be for a while. "A person who is quick and has really good reflexes. It's a human expression."

"Oh," he says. "Y-You...n-n-need to w-work on y-your n-n-ninja skills."

Winnie laughs and stands up. "True, but I have no skills in this area - there's not much to work on," she grins and holds out a hand to help him up.

He takes it gratefully and stands up, surpassing Winnie's height by a few feet. "O-Oh! Here, th-the p-p-penicillin."

"Thanks," she says, taking the container gently.

"A-Anything else?" he asks. "W-W-We have p-plenty on hand-d."

"This should be good. Not too big of a job. Thanks though." She places the jar in a small transportation cryounit in her bag.

"O-Okay," he says with a small smile.

The medbay doors swish open, and a mech with jetwings steps inside. He has a pair of goggles around his neck, and what appears to be...bugs...on his chest.

"You ready?" he asks.

"I s-suppose," Lifeflight answers. "I n-need t-t-to go, Winnie...g-gonna t-t-try out my n-new alt mode."

"Cool. See ya later." She smiles.

"O-Okay," he says, returning the smile. "I-I'll see if I c-c-can take a p-picture for you."

"Oh, thanks!" she says brightly, grinning wider. He smiles, and walks over to the mech, who leads him out.


	5. Chapter 5

Winnie finishes gathering her stuff and follows the way they went, back outside.

"Yo, human, you wanna come?" the mech with the goggles asks.

Winnie stops as she returns outside. "Um... sure. I mean, if you don't mind."

"Naw," the mech says. "C'mon, Lifeflight, let's go."

"Thanks." Winnie says hitching her bag on her shoulder and walking over.

They exit the base, and once they are far enough away to not disturb the Mecha with any loud engine noises, the mech turns to Winnie and Lifeflight.

"My name is Skydive," he says with a big, crooked grin. "Lifeflight, you know me, but the...human...doesn't. Do you have a name, polite human female?"

"I'm Winnie," she says smiling. "Nice to meet you."

"Sweet!" he says. "Now...let's get this show on the road!"

Looking to Lifeflight, he nods. "Let me see your sequence...if there's anything out of place, we won't go."

"O-Okay," Lifeflight says, and cues the transformation, smoothly folding down into his new alt mode.

"Lookin' good...okay, Winnie, climb aboard," he says, transforming as well, into a sleek, dark burgundy jet.

"Cool." She grins and climbs inside. Inside, it is actually more spacious than what it originally seemed from the exterior.

"See the seat kinda in the back, by the wall?" he asks. "Strap yourself in nice and snug...then we'll go."

She sits in the indicated place, and stilll looking around, she finds the buckle and snaps it in.

"Shoulder straps too. _Everything_," he says.

" 'Kay," she says, following his directions.

"Alright...everything battened down?" he calls, firing up his engines.

"Aye-aye." She smiles, feeling the rumble.

"R-READY!" Lifeflight calls.

"Good...hold onto your...uh...arms? Your... I'm not sure. Hang on!"

Skydive guns it, taking a short distance to achieve aerial liftoff. He circle back around, and Winnie can barely peek out a side window to see Lifeflight starting up.

"Oh! And by the way...see those goggles next to you? Put 'em on. All the way. Gives the experience more of a...a...I don't know, just put 'em on."

She leans over and grabs the goggles. "Whoa! These are awesome!" she says, examining them before putting them on.

"Ya!"

Lifeflight's airblades sound close outside of the cabin, and Skydive maneuvers over, starting to ascend more quickly now.

"Go easy, Lifeflight," he says. "We've got plenty of time."

"I-I will," the medic answers.

"Hmm...increasing height...there. Now, hold on, Winnie!"

"Can do." She sinks back into the seat, excited. In a split second, the inside peels away, shifting around her to form...wait, what?

"I'm called Skydive for a reason!" he cries with excitement, thrusters on his back powering up.

They start plummeting down, Winnie strapped to the mech's chest as he stretches out his arms and legs. Her scream is frozen in her throat as the head down, very quickly. Her eyes are wide behind the goggles.

"WHOO!" he screams into the wind, "THIS IS AWESOME!"

She is still shocked by the ever-approaching ground. For some unknown reason she shuts her eyes and laughs nervously. Skydive wraps his arms around Winnie, bringing his knees up, and they drop like a cannonball. Almost to the ground, he activates his thrusters and unfolds from Winnie, jetpack shoving them back up into the white fluffy clouds.

As they plummet she opens her eyes, watching the ground disappear as they go up. "Oh gosh..." she breathes shakily.

"I gotcha," he says, as she wriggles a little. "Ease up there, Lifeflight."

She shuts her eyes, waiting for her heart to stop pounding, and the sick feeling in her stomach to go away. When she opens her eyes she looks around the sky where they fly.

"You doin' okay?" he asks in her ear, leaning over to make sure she hears him.

"Sure," she says nodding a little.

"Alright," he says. "I can put you down if this isn't yo thing."

"No. I-I'm fine I think."

" 'Kay."

His thrusters push them farther up, and they come up beside Lifeflight. Skydive pulls out a scanner, and runs it over Lifeflight's rotary bundle.

"Lookin' good..." he rumbles. "Let's keep going."

Winnie looks over to the copter and listens to the loud chopping of his rotors. She looks down towards the treetops.

"We're going to be heading over to the plains," he says. "You ever see a wild Pa'li?"

"Yep. I've been around most of the herds."

"Nice."

He motions to Lifeflight to keep going, and then Skydive ascends again, crossing into the clouds.

"You ready?" he asks, voice excited.

Winnie tenses again and closes her eyes. "Uh...hopefully," she squeaks.

"You're safe," he murmurs in her ear. "You're strapped to me."

"O-Okay." She nods, eyes still squinted shut.

"You got goggles," he laughs. "Keep your eyes open and watch this time."

He moves a little higher up, and then kills his engines. Hovering in place for a moment, they begin to fall, and Skydive spreads out his body so that they fall slower. She opens her eyes and feels her stomach turns over as they fall.

"WHOO!" he cries behind her. "NEVER GETS OLD!"

She watches as the ground rushes up and smiles a little. Just before the trees, he activates thrusters, and they soar over the tree tops, swerving around some rather tall ones as they come up. She laughs as they come up and watches the trees rush past.

"WHOO!"

He peels away from the trees, blazing past Lifeflight and on into the sky. Lifeflight laughs, watching Winnie and Skydive shoot past him, and they begin to fly over the plains. A herd of Pa'li are on the ground, running. Winnie looks up through the clouds, missing the wild Pa'li.

"Wow..."

Skydive watches the Pa'li, and then a spluttering is heard.

"Uh..." Lifeflight whimpers.

Skydive halts and turns around...only to see Lifeflight begin to fall down to the ground.

...

They weren't very high up, so the drop is short and not very hard. He lands on the ground and transforms, slowly pulling himself up. Winnie looks down as he falls and sees the Pa'li run forward. He waves up at Skydive, oblivious to the oncoming horses. As he looks back to his surroundings, the Pa'li are right on top of him.

Taking a few stumbling steps back, he trips and falls, just as they overtake him. The herd obstructs him from view, and Skydive's breath hitches. A few tense minutes pass as the entire herd runs through Lifeflight's position, before finally he is revealed, curled in a ball in the midst of hoof stamped ground.

"Skydive, down!" Her eyes widen as the horses disperse.

His thrusters cut, and he drops, feet first. Landing hard, his knees, hips, and back bend to compensate for the sudden change in gravity. Winnie shudders as they hit, but unclips from the straps.

"Lifeflight?" She falls onto the grass and stumbles over to him.

He is curled tightly, shaking in fear. She drops down beside him. "Lifeflight. Look at me. Are you hurt?" Still shivering, he doesn't move, and Winnie notices some energon dripping onto his arms.

"Shh. Lifeflight look at me," she says softer, and puts a hand on his shoulder.

He cautiously looks up at her, eyes brimming with bright tears. There is a large split on his forehead from a hoof, and some dark, bruised patches in areas unprotected by his new alt mode's sparse armor.

"Shh...you're alright," she says quietly.

Skydive is at their side in an instant. "Lifeflight! Oh dear," he says, kneeling down. "Come on, airbrother, let's get up."

Winnie checks the cut and offers a hand to help him up. As Lifeflight takes the proffered hand and stands up, energon from the cut runs down his face, some dripping into his eye. He rubs it out, staring at the blue fluid on his hand. She wipes it off his hand with the sleeve of her shirt.

"It's alright."

He stares blankly at his hand, before looking up at her. She nods and tries to smile reassuringly. "You're okay. Does anything else hurt?"

He shakes his head, eyes still wide and frightened.

"Okay," she says quietly.

"Easy..." Skydive murmurs, pulling Lifeflight back into a hug. "The Pa'li mean no harm."

Lifeflight shivers, airblades shut tight. Winnie steps back and looks over to where the Pa'li are just disappearing and chews the inside of her cheek.

"Well...I think that's enough for today," Skydive says. "I can't clear you because there was a malfunction, but we will try again later."

Lifeflight, trembling, nods, and the other jet reaches out to Winnie.

"You okay with walking?" he asks.

"Hmm? Oh yeah," Winnie says, looking back to him.

They start walking back to Base, going slowly for Lifeflight. Winnie plods along just off to the side of the trail, looking at the leaf litter on the ground.

"What is your function, Winnie?" Skydive asks.

She smiles, and ducks under a branch. "Mostly a vet."

"Vet?" Skydive asks. "We're all veterans of war."

"Er, sorry... I mean a medic for animals. Vet is an old word for that."

"Oh," Skydive says. "Like...Pa'li?"

"Yep, and other things."

"Wow..." Skydive says. "Where is your dwelling?"

"Just up here a ways," she answers, walking in front of him up the trail.

"Hmm...I shall leave you there when we come upon it," he says.

"Okay," she says looking behind her. She glances at Lifeflight, and then looks forward again.

He is still shivering, looking more frightened than cold. He drops his gaze when she looks up at him.

She bites her lip. "I'm really sorry that happened," she says, quietly.

"I-I-It's not-t y-y-your f-fault," he mumbles. "S-S-System m-malfunction."

"Still..." she trails off.

"M-My fault-t," he says quietly. "I q-queued th-th wrong c-c-command."

"But the horses..." She looks up as a bird is startled from a bush. Lifeflight shivers from his shoulders down, and is silent.

"I'm sorry. Um, I need to go check something real quick," she says, looking over her shoulder. "I'll be right back."

She heads off the trail and into the underbrush.

"O...kay," Skydive rumbles. They walk on, leaving Winnie be. She comes back a few minutes later, putting something in her pack and rejoining them on the trail.

"What'd you get?" Slkydive asks.

"Dinner," she says, closing her pack.

"What...okay," Skydive rumbles.

"I had a snare that I forgot to get yesterday. Sorry."

"What's a snare?" Skydive asks.

"A kind of trap."

"Oh," he says. "You mean you..._offlined_ something?"

Winnie's face flushes. "Er...yeah..." she says quietly.

Skydive averts his eyes, and sighs. "I suppose we all must eat," he murmurs, looking back up at the trail. "Is that your dwelling ahead?"

She looks up. "Uh-huh."

"Alright," Skydive says. "I shall leave you here."

"Thank you," she says, walking into the clearing.

"G-Goodbye, W-Winnie," Lifeflight says, a timid smile touching his lips.

"See you," she says quietly, smiling back.

He leaves with Skydive, still pressed close to the larger jet, taking one glance back at Winnie before disappearing down the gravel path. She sighs and walks over to the house. She sits down, back pressed against the wall, and watches the trees.

...

A few hours pass, and then a white and red ambulance rolls up, shifting into First Aid.

"Winnie?" he calls, before locating her by the house.

She looks up from the rabbit she was skinning. "Oh, hi!" she chirps, quickly putting the rabbit and knife away.

"Please, continue," he says, easing down beside her. "It does not bother me as such it would others."

"Oh no, it's fine. What's up?" she says, standing.

"Just came down to see you," he says. "I'm on offshift right now...Lifeflight was...concerned, you could say."

"Concerned?" she says, confused.

"That may not be the best to describe it, but he just wanted to make sure you were okay," First Aid says. "I don't know why...but he couldn't come. He is bound to his bay for now. Silverbolt is attempting to make a squad for him...Lifeflight is less than willing."

"Oh...at least he's alright."

"I suppose," First Aid says. "Would you like to come back to The Cube for some energon? It must be lonely, eating alone most of the time."

She smiles. "Oh, it's not so bad. Thank you, though.

"Alright," he says.

She looks up at him. "It sounds fun though. I don't think I've been to the The Cube before."

"You haven't? It's our only diner," First Aid says, laughing. "Well...bar, diner, pretty much just a place to be..."

Winnie smiles. "Cool."

"Still not coming?" he asks playfully. "Probably better than whatever you were planning with that rabbit."

"That's probably true. Why not? If you don't mind me going with you," she says.

"Nah. It's not evening yet, so no need to fear the nightlife," he replies.

"Let me put this away," she says, picking up her pack.

"Alright," he says, watching her walk inside.

He picks himself up, and waits patiently for her to come back.

"You ready?" Winnie asks quietly.

"Yes," he says. They walk to the road, and he transforms, holoform appearing and opening the side door for Winnie.

"Thanks." She smiles and hops in.

"You're welcome," he says, closing the door lightly, walking around to get in as well.

He reaches past the steering column and turns the key, and his engine fires up. Winnie leans back and buckles in. The automatic gearshift in the middle of the floor shifts into manual, and they start to move, First Aid's hands returning to the wheel.

"So...how has your practice been running?" First Aid asks. "I understand your patient load has increased exponentially."

"Yeah, more animals are becoming domesticated." She smiles. "That means more accidents and problems. It's been interesting."

"Has the aurochs been added to your collection?" First Aid asks. "The villagers in the North were looking for a plow animal... someone brought Wheeljack a fossil, and he 'managed' to recreate one."

"I haven't fixed one yet, but I've definitely seen 'em."

"Ooh, you must have seen one of our experiment animal," First Aid says. "We have two...they're still quite young...would you like them? The Base labs are getting to be too...small, if you know what I mean," First Aid laughs. "We've been looking for a place to put them."

Winnie looks over at him. "You serious? That would be awesome!"

First Aid smiles. "I'm glad you welcome the idea."

She grins. "It might take a while to get things set up for 'em. But still...wow!"

"Alright," First Aid says. "I shall await your call."

Base begins to appear in view, and he slows as they approach. "Thank you," she says, hopping out as they stop in front.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello there, reader :)

This contains the song "Dance With Me Tonight" by Olly Murs... it's not mine :)

...

He slides out as well, holoform coming to greet Winnie as his actual self transforms. She smiles and hitches her pack higher on her shoulder.

"Holoform or mech?" he asks. "Might be nice to have a more humanlike companion."

"Oh, um...Whatever you want to do," she replies.

"It is purely your choice," First Aid says, standing with his hands out, holoform copying.

"I like the real, mech you." She smiles to him. "If...if that's alright."

He seems almost surprised. "Of course... okay, then," he says.

They turn towards Base, and walk inside to the mainbay. Not many Mecha populate the space, and it is rather quiet. Winnie follows First Aid in as they take the first right in Mainbay.

...

Arriving in The Cube, Winnie is startled to see what appears to be a warm tavern, with warm lights, a small stage to the right, and a barcounter to the left. A stocky mech stands behind, cleaning a glass, and he nods to First Aid as they walk in.

"Pick a seat," he says.

There are tables in the middle of the floor, and booths line the walls.

"You want a booth or table?" First Aid asks. "I would say booths are a little more private."

She snaps her attention back to First Aid. "Um, sure. Anywhere is really fine with me."

"It's really your choice," he says. "I would prefer a booth because then I can look at you."

"Okay, then." She smiles and heads over to one of the booths on the left.

Sitting down opposite her, First Aid smiles warmly, watching her arrange her satchel on the seat. She grins back as she looks up and then around to the rest of the room. The barkeep walks over to them, still polishing a glass.

"Have you thought on what you would like?"

"Evening, Brawn. Swerve still out sick?"

"Sadly, yes," Brawn answers.

"Have you ever had anything than ration energon, Winnie?" First Aid asks, turning back to her.

"Just med-grade," she replies.

"Ooh...we can get a sampler, then, so you can try something new," First Aid says. "Could you do that, Brawn?"

"Course," he says, his deep voice rumbling. "And your normal?"

"Sure," First Aid answers.

Winnie smiles at him. "Thanks."

Brawn goes away to fix the platter, and First Aid directs his attention back to Winnie.

He lays his hands on the table. "Enough of work...we all have enough of it," First Aid says. "Anything happening in your life?"

"Eh, same old craziness. You?"

"Meh...not as many vacation days as I would like...my life revolves around medbay, but a...a femme...has been taking interest in me," he blushes deeply, bashful. "That's a first. Someone gave me a cat."

"Ooh, sounds like your doin' better than "meh". How is it with the cat?" she asks, smiling.

"Smooth, surprisingly. Francie likes to sit on my shoulder when I'm in quarters," he says. "She's an orange tabby. I should give her to you to fix so there are no surprise litters of kittens."

"Sure, bring her over anytime."

"Okay," First Aid says, looking up as Brawn brings a small tray over, with five little shot glasses filled with various fluids, and a large glass with a strange bluish-purple balanced on it.

"Those shots aren't high-grade," he says. "Just small glasses. Medley platter, and one cosmic."

"Thank you," First Aid says, accepting the platter and setting it down in the middle of the table. He pulls his glass off, and gently pushes the tray over to Winnie.

"Wow, thank you," she smiles, picking one up.

"Alright... light blue is regular, non med-grade energon, the deeper blue is mid-grade, the purple is a little sweeter than First Aid's mix, the orange is a Vosian... uh... whiskey, and the pink is Polyhexian," Brawn says. "Is that all for you?"

"Winnie? Are you hungrier than this?" First Aid asks. "I know it is dinnertime."

"I make mean 'nut butter and jam sandwiches," Brawn says, serious.

"That sounds great. Yes, please." She smiles.

"Alright, one sandwich coming up."

Brawn goes back to the counter, pulling out some bread. Winnie takes a sip of the normal energon and looks up at First Aid. Carefully, he unclips his faceshield, and sets the curved metal down on the table. Winnie tries not to stare as he rubs his jaw.

"I suppose you never knew I had a face," he says. "I do...this is more like a shield to protect me from viruses and help me be more sterile in the OR."

"Wow," Winnie says quietly, looking at the metal plating.

First Aid picks his glass up and takes a sip, a small smile playing on his lips. He sets his glass down, and looks to Winnie expectantly.

"Well? Is regular suitable? I know med-grade and ration energon is pretty...hard, really."

"This is great." She smiles after tasting it.

"Mmm...I feel they only get better from there," he says with a smile. "Although this is my type of cuisine."

"What's yours?" she asks, taking another sip.

"Polyhexian mixed with some mid-grade. Nothing too heady," he says. "You wanna try?"

"Hmm...do you mind?" she asks.

"Not at all," he says, nudging his glass over to her.

She sets down her empty shot glass and picks up the glass. Taking a sip, her eyes widen. "Whoa."

"You like?" he asks.

She sets it down and looks at it. "I think so. My tastebuds just exploded."

He smiles and snags the glass, taking another sip. "It's not something to drink all at once," he says.

"You got that right." She says biting her tongue.

He laughs, and looks over her array of different drinks. "One down, four to go," he says. "I would go slow on the purple, and take the orange in one mouthful," he says.

"Good to know," she says, picking up the mid-grade.

She takes a sip. "Mmmm. This one's good." She smiles.

"That's what I think," he says with a smile. "A little creamy, I feel."

He takes a sip, and watches Winnie finish that shot glass. "I'm anxious to see your reaction to the Vosian energon," he says. "One gulp... if you take sips, the experience is lost."

She smiles and laughs. "I'm a little worried now."

"Naw," he says, taking another drink. "It's good. I think it would be something you might like too."

She sets the glass down and picks up the purple one. "Cool." He watches her take a sip of the purple energon, and she blinks a couple of times after the first sip. She brings it up and looks at the energon.

"That's awesome." She laughs.

He is smiling brightly, and watches as she finishes that shot.

"Your sandwich, friend," Brawn says, setting down the plate near Winnie. "Shall I take those empty glasses?"

"Mmm...yes. Thank you," she says, smiling up at the him.

He smiles back at her, throwing his towel over a shoulder to pick up the empty shot glasses, stacking them in his hand. "Anything else? 'Aid?"

"I am fine, thank you," First Aid says politely, and Brawn leaves them be.

She pulls the sandwich over and takes a bite out of one of the halves. There possibly might be a little extra jam on the bread, but it a good sandwich nonetheless.

"Mmmm..." She smiles and swallows contentedly.

First Aid takes another drink, and watches as another group of Mecha walk into the bar. " 'Ey, all students out," one argues. "It's five ten."

"Not a student," First Aid responds.

They stare at the medic, then Winnie. One chuckles. "Alright, mech. I can read your field over here. Ease up."

First Aid watches as they take a seat at the bar counter, and Brawn tends to them. Winnie watches them sit and takes another bite of sandwich. She turns and looks back up at First Aid. He studies the mechs a few more moments before looking back to Winnie with warm eyes.

"Remember, not everyone comes with good intentions," he says.

She smiles. "So I hear."

She finishes the sandwich half and picks up the orange energon shot. First Aid smiles as she takes the shot glass in one swallow. As the fluid runs down her throat, Winnie feels nothing, until when all of the fluid is gone, she feels a heat, burning in her stomach, warming her body pleasantly.

Her eyes widen. "Whoa..."

"Warm, eh?" he asks, nearly finished with his energon.

She smiles and breathes out. "That's...that's..." She tilts her head back and smiles.

"Warm," he says with a smile. "The more natural energon in your system, the warmer the sensation."

She smiles wider. "Awesome..."

He chuckles, and watches her finger the shot glass containing the pink energon. She closes her eyes and the warm feeling starts to subside. When she opens them again she picks up the shot glass a little warily.

"It doesn't bite," he says.

"I would hope not." She smiles, taking a sip.

A little spicier than the others, it holds the same creamy taste as the mid-grade.

She sets the glass down for a minute and laughs. "Cool."

He smiles. "There are so many kinds...it' s amazing," he says. "Each culture has their own type that originates solely from their lifestyle."

"That's incredible." She smiles. "I can't believe this stuff alone."

He laughs. "Yeah... like the Vosian things, it was made so warm like that because the energon in the bond made the sensation even bigger."

The Polyhexian was made that way because spicier brews appeal more to the bulky frames found in Polyhex. The purple is a party drink, for all to enjoy...and the rest is standard in all cities. There are some specialties that are hard to come by, like the Praxian wine, or Protihexian rum."

Winnie smiles. "Wow." She leans her forearms on the table and sips the drink.

"Iacon had many different energons," he says. "We came up with many of the party mixes. I mean, it's not like Praxus couldn't throw a better party, because of their accepted public affection, but we had the drinks," First Aid reflects with a smile.

She listens to him and smiles. He swallows the rest of his energon, and watches Winnie finish hers. When she finishes she takes a couple bites if her sandwich. Leaning back, she smiles.

"Thank you so much."

"Of course," First Aid says. "I've been meaning to take you ^ital^ somewhere ^ital^ but medbay has always been in the way."

"Thanks. It's been forever since I've actually gone anywhere," she laughs. "It's nice to know that someone remembers me out there."

"I 'remember' you frequently," First Aid says. "You should come and serve actively more often...we might be able to do lunch, if time permits."

"If only." She smiles.

He smiles back at her, watching as she eats some more sandwich. A mech walks in, and Brawn calls out to him, "Eh, mech! Long time no see...night is quickly falling."

"Ah know," the mech replies. "Prowler said Ah have free rein tonight. You got a workin' mic?"

"You betcha. Rouse your music, and let's get started."

More Mecha start to come in, and First Aid watches as they start filling tables, and some femmes come in, winking to Brawn behind the counter.

"We're ready," they chime.

He nods. "Alright. Go do."

"Six o'clock brings more life," First Aid says, as more Mecha start coming in. Winnie smiles and finishes the sandwich, watching the mecha sit and talk.

"You wanna stay for the vocal?" he asks. "We can, if you want."

"Do you want to?" she asks, grinning.

"I'm game if you are," he responds.

"Sure. Why not?" she says, leaning back, head buzzing from the energon.

"Alright," First Aid says. "I wonder what he will do tonight..."

As even more Mecha come in, a few peel off and go to the singer, beginning to set up a small quartet of instruments. One walks up with a cordless microphone for him.

"Hey there, ladies and gentlemen, we got a special treat for you tonight. I'm gonna call up my friend Jazzy here and he's gonna sing to ya. Take it away, man."

He hands off the mic to Jazz as the band starts up. Winnie smiles as she recognizes the base line.

"My name is Jazzy, nice to meet you...can I tell you, baby," Jazz begins.

_"Look around, there's a whole lot of pretty ladies,_

_But none like you, you shine so bright, yeah..."_

Jazz walks through the band, out into the crowd, now seated at various tables and booths.

_"I was wondering if you and me could spend a minute,_

_On the floor up and close, getting lost in it,_

_I won't give up without a fight..."_

He turns, looking to Winnie, and his visor blinks in a faux wink. First Aid smiles and chuckles, watching as Jazz sashays across the floor, voice smooth and melodic to the music. She smiles, face a little pink and taps her foot to the beat.

_"I just wanna, oh, oh, baby,_

_I just want you to dance with me tonight..."_

In a moment, he is at Winnie's booth, holding out an inviting hand as the beat picks up. Winnie looks up at him and sinks a little in her seat, face turning flushing hot. He smiles in between lines, and nods, reaching out gently for her hand.

"Go on," First Aid says softly. "It's fun."

_"So come on, oh, oh, baby,_

_I just want you to dance with me tonight..."_

He motions to her, come on, come on...

She swallows and tentatively takes his hand. He pulls her up gently, and as the line comes up, swings her around in a gentle twirl, hand soft and guiding on hers. He steps around her feet, making the dance look effortless.

His voice cuts for a moment, and the band takes the opportunity to go instrumental, a solo floating from the main player. Jazz smiles and stows the mic in subspace, taking Winnie's other hand, slowly beginning to show her a swing dance. As the instrumental winds down, he pulls the mic out again, and resumes singing.

_"We're getting sweaty, hot and heavy in the crowd now,_

_Loosen up and let your hands go down, down,_

_Go with it girl, yeah just close your eyes, yeah..."_

She looks down at her feet, trying not to stumble awkwardly.

_"I feel the music moving through your body,_

_Looking at you I can tell you want me,_

_Don't stop keep going till the morning light, yeah..."_

He twirls her around again, arm now curling in to bring her back to his chest, and she can feel him lightly swaying to the beat behind her, the vibrations of his voice tingling against her skin.

_"When I saw you there,_

_Sitting all alone in the dark _

_acting like you didn't have a care,_

_I knew right then, that you'd be mine, _

_and we'd be dancing the whole night, right?"_

She looks up at him and smiles, face warm. He grins down at her.

_"Oh, oh baby, I just want you to dance with me tonight,_

_So come on, ooh, oh baby,_

_I just want you to dance with me tonight!"_

He pulls her out and twirls her around again, sending her in a spin out onto the floor alone. When Winnie turns back, the microphone is gone, and he takes swinging steps towards her.

_"Break it down now, shake it like that, now bring it all back,_

_To dance with me tonight,_

_One more time, one more time, come on now._

_Do your thing, everybody sing..."_

He pulls the mic back out as he takes her hand, and the music cuts. Leading the crowd with his voice, he sings the next few lines.

_"I just want you to dance with me tonight, yeah_

_I just wanna, ooh, oh baby,_

_I just want you to dance with me tonight_

_Ooh, just close your eyes, we can dance all through the night."_

He turns around, and subspaces the mic again, pulling First Aid by a hand up out of his seat as well. He pulls Winnie over to the medic, starting to groove to the music. Jazz nods and grins a killer smile, stepping back to cue up the band again. First Aid smiles at Winnie and cautiously takes her hand, sweeping her back onto the floor, twirling her around, opposite Jazz.

_"I just want you to dance with me tonight,_

_And everybody sing, girl just close your eyes,_

_We can dance all through the night..."_

Jazz moves through the crowd, all eyes on him.

_"I just want you to dance with me tonight,_

_So come on, just close your eyes,_

_We can dance all through the night,_

_I just want you to dance with me tonight."_

The band quiets, and Jazz smiles and motions to the Mecha.

"Let's open up this place, 'ere," he says. " 'Ave a regular floor tonigh'."

The Mecha laugh, and start pushing the tables to the side, stacking them on top of another, and the band starts up again. The band starts up again, with a light beat. Mecha begin assembling, and Jazz's blue visor flashes like a flashlight in the darkness.


	7. Chapter 7

This contains "Push Rewind" by Chris Wallace and "The Gambler" by F.U.N.

*not mine :)

...

_"I'm sitting with an empty glass and a broken heart,_

_Thinking to myself, "What have I done?"_

_Cause as my future got bright, we started losing light,_

_And I couldn't see that you were the one..."_

As the beat picks up, Jazz smiles.

_"So can we push-push-push rewind,_

_Go go back in time,_

_When we were kids sneaking bottles of wine..."_

The door opens, and a familiar face walks in.

_"Take-take-take me back, I wanna go back,_

_Back to what we had! Do you remember when we started this mess..."_

He spies Westie, and halts, unsure of whether or not to go further.

_"My heart was beating out of my chest!_

_Remember when we stole your dad's car,_

_I never thought we'd take it that far."_

Westie sees Lifeflight and smiles at him, putting a hand up in a tentative wave. He stares at her, confused, and looking slightly depressed at the sight of her with First Aid. The other medic notices him, and stops dancing, standing up straight next to Westie. Westie looks back from First Aid to Lifeflight.

"Shall I give you to him?" First Aid asks. "I do not want to halt any advances he may have."

She looks up quizzically. "Um..."

"It is your choice," he says. "But I fear if I remain something might be stopped."

She shrugs her shoulders. "Stop what?" she says, waving Lifeflight over.

"I...I should go," First Aid says. "It was lovely spending time with you, Westie."

As Lifeflight walks closer, First Aid steps back, delivering Westie to him.

"I shall see you in the medbay," he says. "I mean no harm, Lifeflight."

He disappears through the crowd, and the music plays past Lifeflight and Westie, as he stands before her.

"Wh-Wh-What were...were y-you d-d-doing w-with him?" Lifeflight asks softly.

She smiles and waves after First Aid. "Well, he was dancing. I was trying not to fall on my face."

"Oh...'kay," Lifeflight says, looking down at the floor.

Westie smiles at him and pushes the hair out of her face. "Hi!"

"Hi," he says softly. "Are...a-are y-y-you..."

"Hm?" She asks looking up.

"Y-You...y-y-you and...and...F-F-F-F-"

"First Aid? Me and him? Naw." She smiles. "He just dragged me out of my hole and was putting up with me for a while."

Lifeflight abruptly looks up at Westie, eyes looking into hers, as if to stare into her soul.

"Okay," he says, a little smile starting to find a way onto his lips. She blushes and looks up to the stage, where Jazz is back. The music slows and quiets, another song coming on.

_"Slow down, we've got time left to be lazy,_

_All the kids have bloomed from babies into flowers in our eyes,_

_We've got fifty good years left to spend out in the garden,_

_I don't care to beg your pardon, we should live until we die..."_

She smiles and nods to the beat as a pianist comes in.

_"We were barely eighteen when we crossed collective sparks,_

_It was cold, but it got warm when you barely crossed my eye,_

_And then you turned, put out your hand, and you asked me to dance,_

_I knew nothing of romance, but it was love at second sight..."_

Lifeflight looks at Westie, and timidly asks, "W-W-Would...would..."

He holds out his hand tentatively, as couples move around them.

"I'm er... I'm not really that good at it..." she says, her face red.

"N-N-Neither a-a-am I," he confesses. "W-We...sh-sh-should manage," he adds with a hopeful smile.

"Bet I'm worse." She puts her hand in his and smiles.

"I-I don't think-k-k s-so," he says, pulling her in closer, so that she can feel the heat radiating from his frame.

_"I swear when I grow up I won't just buy you a rose,_

_I will buy the flower shop, and you will never be lonely..._

_For even if the sun stops waking up over the fields,_

_I will not leave, I will not leave 'til it's our time,_

_So just take my hand, you know that I will never leave your side."_

She grins up at him and relaxes a little.

_"It was the winter of '86, all the fields had frozen over,_

_So we moved to Arizona to save our only son,_

_And now he's turned into a man, though he thinks just like his mother,_

_He believes we're all just lovers, he sees hope in everyone,_" Jazz sings, voice light, but meaningful.

_"And even though she moved away, we always get calls from our daughter,_

_She has eyes just like her father's, they are blue when skies are gray,_

_And just like him she never stops, never takes the day for granted,_

_Works for everything that's handed to her, never once complains..."_

With each passing word, Westie notices that she moves closer to Lifeflight, until they are barely touching bodies, moving slowly as the music slows.

_"You think that I nearly lost you when the doctors tried to take you away..._

_Like the night you took my hand beside the fire thirty years ago to this day,_

_You swore you'd be here 'til we decide that it's our time_

_But it's not time, you never quit in all your life,_

_So just take my hand, you know that I will never leave your side,_

_You're the love of my life, you know that I will never leave your side."_

Lifeflight's head slowly lowers to Westie's shoulder, and he pulls her in, now more of a swaying hug than a dance. She feels her stomach flutter and closes her eyes, smiling quietly.

_"You come home from work, and you kiss me on the eye,_

_You curse the dog, you say that I should never feed them what is ours,_

_So we move out to the garden, look at everything we've grown _

_And the kids are coming home so I'll set the table; you can make the fire."_

The song closes, and the audience applauds. On stage, Jazz brushes his cheek with a hand, and holds up his hand.

"Now, Ah'll let the ban' take ovah, and Ah'll be back in a few," he says.

Westie stumbles as the song ends and trips into Lifeflight. He catches her, and pulls her upright, looking down into her eyes. He smiles, eyes shining with emotion.

She blushes and stammers apologies. "O-Oops. S-Sorry."

"I-I-It's okay-y," he says quietly. "Y-You w-wanna stay f-for another d-d-dance?"

"Do you?" she asks, head still spinning from the energon and dancing.

"Y-Y-Your ch-choice," he says. "The n-n-nightlife is c-c-coming..."

"I better go. I have to work tomorrow. Sorry," she says.

"Th-Th-That's okay," he says. "I c-c-can walk y-you home."

She smiles. "Thanks. If you don't want to, though, I can make it."

"N-No," he says. "I w-w-will s-see you s-s-safely home."

"Thank you," she says, and then realizes she's still really close to him. She steps back, blushing. "Er...sorry."

He smiles a little, and walks with her out to the hallway, quickly bypassing a strange group of Mecha. They look dark...evil.

"N-N-Nightlife," he whispers. "Dark Missions."

She nods as they pass and looks at the ground. Most of the Mecha are a dark color, with blazing blue eyes, and but one amongst them is ruby red. He winks at Westie as they pass. She keeps walking, not looking up, but sees the red mech. Lifeflight urges her on, and they walk into the mainbay, empty except for one mech manning Teletraan I.

The two walk into the cold evening air and Westie smiles. It's bright outside, the wind moving through the trees and frogs croaking to an imaginary melody.

"I-I-It's so p-p-p-peaceful out here," he says quietly.

"Yeah..." She sighs happily as they head down the road.

"So n-n-nice..." he murmurs, listening to the wind.

Westie feels the road rock back and forth and the air is cool compared to the sweaty tavern. They walk in quiet back to the compound, and Lifeflight deposits Westie at her doorstep.

"Thanks, Lifeflight." She smiles turning at the door.

"O-Of c-c-course," he says with a small smile.

Watching as she unlocks the door, he waits until it is open and a light is on before bidding her farewell.

Giving her a warm hug, he smiles to Westie. "G-G-Goodnight," he says.

She stands surprised for a moment then hugs him back. " 'Night." She smiles.

He steps back, then walks back up to the road, giving her one last glance before turning back to Base.

She waves at him and walks back into her room, dumping her pack. She sleepily goes about her chores before crashing on top of the bed. Humming, she smiles and replays the night in her mind.

...

She sees Lifeflight several times over the coming weeks; in the medbay, at Base, and sometimes passing over the compound. She works on putting together some pens for the aurochs, and spends a few extra days in the medbay as the weeks pass.

...

Flying on towards Westie's house, Lifeflight hopes that he isn't too late to warn her of the imminent danger she is in...

...

Fin


End file.
